1.6 450whp or bust
#25
I am all for you doing whatever the hell you want to do, but in my opinion you are using your "availability of 1.6 motors locally" as an excuse to make your life suck.
1.6 is a cool motor, and having many 1.6's around is a good thing. But you only need ONE. I was able to pick up a (non-vvt) 1.8 motor assembly (everything but exhaust manifold) for about $400 local. Even if you are getting the 1.6's for free, I don't see the math working out in your favor. You spent all this time doing research, why blow your wad on a questionable initial decision when you have already proven you have the patience to plan? Keep an eye out, let people know what your budget is and you will find a 1.8 that is in decent shape for cheap eventuallly. Ideally you would find a full powertrain with 6-speed and maybe more for a big discount over buying the trans on it's own.
Whatever you do, good luck. I just think that you will be spending a LOT of money and won't be happy with the results. Have you ever ridden in (or better yet driven) a 300hp Miata?
1.6 is a cool motor, and having many 1.6's around is a good thing. But you only need ONE. I was able to pick up a (non-vvt) 1.8 motor assembly (everything but exhaust manifold) for about $400 local. Even if you are getting the 1.6's for free, I don't see the math working out in your favor. You spent all this time doing research, why blow your wad on a questionable initial decision when you have already proven you have the patience to plan? Keep an eye out, let people know what your budget is and you will find a 1.8 that is in decent shape for cheap eventuallly. Ideally you would find a full powertrain with 6-speed and maybe more for a big discount over buying the trans on it's own.
Whatever you do, good luck. I just think that you will be spending a LOT of money and won't be happy with the results. Have you ever ridden in (or better yet driven) a 300hp Miata?
#40
I have not driven a 400hp+ miata. My "passenger seat experience" was limited to an ls swapped miata. Granted it's a profoundly different setup then a high psi 4cylinder. I'm going to try my best to take your criticisms with a grain of salt. I'm new to miata's. Fairly new to Mazda in general for that matter. Only other Mazda I've owned besides my 06' and 08' mazda3 was an 88' rx7 convertible with a tII swap. So be gentle. I appreciate the "editing" of my build thread though. The 1.8 vs 1.6 comparison has been beaten to death. This early in my build, most of the parts I've purchased thus far are compatible with either motor. Tracking one down would prove difficult but not impossible. Keep it coming guys, criticism is always welcome.